


do you remember the time

by selinawrites



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Coming Out, Established Relationship, Fluff, I just love them, M/M, No Angst, Photography, Post-Dan and Phil World Tour 2018: Interactive Introverts, Secret Relationship, The Amazing Tour Is Not on Fire, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, basically i'm gay upload
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2020-07-31 16:54:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20118421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/selinawrites/pseuds/selinawrites
Summary: it's florida, 2015. the amazing tour is not on fire is about to open to american audiences, and dan sees a photobooth.it's london, 2019. dan is just about to upload for the first time in over a year, and phil recognizes a photo.





	do you remember the time

**Author's Note:**

> sorry for the reference in the title lol

There was a photobooth down by the pier, amidst the sound of crashing waves and seagulls squawking.

It was the kind that only existed in tourist spots—a photobooth with six shots crammed into a half sheet of glossy A4 photo paper. They had seen them everywhere across their travels, but something was different about this one particular photobooth.

Dan looked at Phil who was eyeing some seagulls that were picking at some bread. He tugged at Phil’s hand briefly and then let go. Even holding Phil’s hand for a moment was risky enough, and too much was on the line to make a mistake. 

“Phil.” Dan said, calling Phil’s attention. 

Phil turned around and looked at Dan with a raised eyebrow. Dan looked at Phil intently and then flicked his pupils back to point at the photobooth, to which Phil instantly understood.

It was almost unnerving how well they understood each other without the use of words. They could manage to get by on almost entirely nonverbal movements and gestures at this point, which was a skill they mastered just as they were about to be thrust into the public eye for such a prolonged period of time.

Phil let out a soft exhale of air, a gently smile curling at his lips. “We can’t do it.”

“Why not?” Dan asked petulantly.

“We have our first rehearsal of the tour in a few minutes.” Phil explained. Dan glared at Phil pointedly until he caved. There was no use lying between them, and Dan immediately caught on.

Phil sighed. “You know why.” He said at last. “We’re in public, Dan.”

“The photobooth isn’t in front of a live audience.” Dan countered sarcastically.

“You know what I mean. There’s eyes everywhere.” Phil replied.

If it was any other day, Dan might’ve dropped the subject. It wasn’t the first time he suggested to do something that they simply could not have done.  _ Hey Phil, let’s go on a walk and hold hands. Hey Phil, let’s get our portrait drawn together. Hey Phil, let’s go to a pride parade. Hey Phil, let me buy you a bouquet of roses off the street.  _ But it was their first few days in America, just hours before they present their first ever stage show to an American audience, and Dan wanted to do something impulsive. Something private.

Dan continued looking at Phil, soft eyes, a gentle smile, the look he had been using for years in the event that he needed Phil to agree to something. It was the same look he used when he suggested naming the tour  _ The Amazing Tour Is Not On Fire _ .

Phil looked at Dan with a grin. “Okay, you win. Let’s do it.” He replied.

Dan smiled as the two of them walked into the photobooth. It was much like the one they used to shoot photos for their poster, but this time was different. They weren’t shooting these photos for publicity, but for themselves.

Phil put in a couple of American coins, and the photobooth sprang to life.

The first four pictures were fairly mundane. The two of them pressed together in a photobooth with large smiles, flushed faces, a peace sign in one of the photos and a tongue sticking out in the other, and Dan with slightly wavy hair from the Florida humidity.

And then as the photobooth prepared for the fifth picture, Phil grabbed Dan’s jaw and kissed him as the camera shutter went off. Dan smiled, and before they knew it the sixth photo was already taken.

They waited a few minutes after their photos were taken for the photobooth to print them. Two copies were printed, and Dan and Phil smiled at the results.

“Don’t put these in the photo book.” Phil jokes, kissing Dan on the cheek quickly before anyone sees.

* * *

Dan took a deep breath of air as he felt his heart hammering in his chest. It had been twenty minutes since he tweeted that he was uploading, and it had been a frenzy of speculation and excitement. He wanted to press  _ publish  _ and just get it over with already, but Phil was adamant that he was there when Dan published the video, and he had just gone into the kitchen to make a pot of tea.

Dan looked at the kitchen from his spot on their living room couch to see Phil waiting for the tea to steep. He reached over and grabbed his wallet, going to the third credit card spot and taking out a small, folded piece of paper.

It was well worn from the few years of folding and unfolding, the roughly cut scissor edge curling at the tips. The picture was still printed and perfect, Dan’s brilliant smile as Phil’s lips met his captured on camera until the end of time. Four years and two tours later, they were still together. And after tonight, nothing would ever be the same.

Dan was jolted out of concentration as Phil put down two cups of tea on the coffee table in front of them.

“Are you—what's that?” Phil asked, leaning over and looking at what was in Dan’s hands.

Dan yanked it back quickly. “Well,” he began, but not before Phil could swipe it out of his hands.

Phil’s face softened as he realized what the photo was. “You kept it?” He whispered.

Dan scoffed. “Didn’t you?”

Phil’s eyes widened. “No, of course I did! But mine’s in a box at the top of the closet. Y’know, in case the photo got leaked or whatever. You… cut out the last two photos and put it in your wallet.”

Dan smiled at Phil. “Of course I did.”

Dan’s phone beeped incessantly, as Phil tore his gaze away from Dan and onto the laptop screen. He looked at the thumbnail and the title.  _ Basically I’m Gay,  _ the title read, which made Phil smile.

He held onto Dan’s hand and kissed him on the cheek. “Are you ready?”

Dan smiled and kissed Phil back. “I think I am.” He replied, moving the cursor and clicking the upload button.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! come say hi on my twitter @prophetdjh :)


End file.
